Most animals enjoy chewing on things although preferences vary as to the hardness of the substances favored. Some animals may like to chew on very hard materials such as cow bones, wood, nylon or polyurethane, others prefer softer chews such as rawhide, while still others favor freeze dried snacks. Some animals, due to their age, may not be able to chew on the hard substances. Young animals may have insufficiently developed teeth, while old animals may have diseased gums or may have lost some of their teeth.
In addition to the variety of chewing desires and needs of different animals there may also be the consideration that as one lowers the hardness of a material designated for chewing, the strength of a given chewing action may overcome the strength of the material, and the chew may be susceptible to more rapid destruction. In that regard, efforts have been made to provide a chew toy that maintains the interest of an animal in a soft chewing medium, but which soft chew medium maintains itself intact in the chewing environment.
Another consideration in the sales and marketing of chew toys, such as animal chews, may be the ability to attract the animal to play with the chew toy and to attract the owner to purchase the chew toy for the animal. Typically, the chew toy is colored by including pigments in the resin used to manufacturer the toy. It may be advantageous to provide a decorative pattern or message on the outer surface of the chew toy which “catches the eye” of the owner and/or animal. Molding a fabric as the outer layer of such toys may accomplish such a task.